Halloween: No-Sew Care Bear Costumes

It’s that time of year again, time to start thinking of Halloween costumes! When a neighbor calls you up and asks for your help to make Care Bear costumes for her family, you rush over there! No questions asked. These costumes were fairly easy to make and no sewing was involved. Let us know if you spot a Care Bear family trick-or-treating around your neighborhood this year!

Step 1: If you can’t find a yellow sweatshirt and pants, buy a white sweatsuit and dye it. Fill a large bucket or sink with hot water and mix in a bottle of Rit liquid dye. If you use the powder dye, make sure to mix well before adding clothing to the water. Place sweatshirt and pants in the water and mix every 10 minutes for approximately 30 minutes or until you get your desired color (remember that once washed and dry the color will be a few shades lighter). You may want to place dish or latex gloves on before handling dyed clothing. Ring out the sweatsuit and rinse thoroughly. Place in the washer and do a rinse cycle, wash cycle and hang to dry.

Step 2: Measure the width of the sweatshirt and cut a white felt circle a few inches smaller than the sweatshirt. Cut a yellow felt circle several inches smaller than the first circle. We used 2 different sized bowls as our circle stencils. Glue the yellow circle in the center of the white circle using no-sew fabric glue.

Step 3: Outline the yellow circle with orange puff paint. Draw rays and a sun face using orange puff paint. Once dry, glue to the front of the sweatshirt.

Step 4: Cut 4 ear shapes with tabs at the bottom out of yellow felt, as shown below. Cut 2 smaller white inner-ear shapes with tabs at the bottom out of white felt, as shown below. It’s helpful to first make a template out of cardstock, especially if you are making multiple costumes. Cut a pipe cleaner to fit inside each ear, making sure that it doesn’t poke out of the tab part. Sandwich the pipecleaner in between 2 yellow ear shapes, using no-sew fabric glue to glue the pieces in place. Glue white inner-ear shapes to the front of each ear. Make sure not to glue the tabs together.

Step 5: Cut 2 slits, slightly smaller than the length of the ears, on each side of the hoodie part of the sweatshirt. It might be helpful to first try the hoodie on the person it’s intended for and make marks where the slits go, using a fabric pencil. Place ears inside slits, separating and gluing down tabs in the inside. For extra reinforcement, cut 2 small squares of yellow felt and glue down over tabs.

Step 6: Make a large pom pom out of yellow yarn and use no-sew fabric glue to attach to the back of the sweatshirt or pants as a tail. Cut a small red heart out of felt and glue to the side of the pom pom tail.

Care Bear Cloud Wagon Instructions: Cut 2 large foam core boards into cloud shapes. Glue chunks polyfill to the front of each cloud shape. Use 3m adhesive or duct tape to attach clouds to each side of the wagon.

I'm Vanessa and it's my mission in life to spread my love of hot glue guns and glitter to others. I suffer from craft ADHD, regularly working on at least 10 projects at the same time and my craft room looks like a tornado hit it. My first craft book, Party in a Jar, was published in 2014. I look forward to crafting with you!

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Comments

This is so stinkin’ cute! I love the wagon. I wish my oldest would do along with this! (He’s a boy. :/ ) Using the premade hoodies is genius. My kids are always having to wear turtlenecks under their costumes here in PA because it’s chilly when Halloween rolls around.Stephanie recently posted..It’s Gotcha Day!

No joking, a few of my friends and I were Care Bears one year for Halloween in college (granted, they were alcohol-themed Care Bears). Your costumes look much better though; ours were made out of whatever we could find last minute at the local thrift shop!Johnny recently posted..Q3 2012 Credit Card Landscape Report

HOLY MOLY!! I am totally copying this idea, I am dying right now over how stinkin’ cute it is! Thanks so much for sharing! I am stopping over from eighteen25’s Halloween party. I am your newest follower and love your blog! I am soooo excited I finally found my costume, yay! (my hubby may not be so thrilled though!)

Wow, this is so amazingly cute! I love that “daddy” is in the mix too, what a sport. My husband dressed as Darth Vader one year, but I think that’s the extent I could get him to go. Great series, Vanessa! Can’t wait to see what’s next on 20 crafty days.Kelly Griglione recently posted..Mr. and Mrs. Wedding Card

This has to be the greatest idea ever! I LOVE it! And that dad is just awesome. I’m featuring it at the party this week, I’m so happy you stopped by to link up! Britni recently posted..Throwback Thursday No. 14

Thanks for the great write-up! I just wanted to let you know that we are “stealing” your idea for this Halloween. We bought real Care Bear costume for our two daughters, but were unable to find anything for adults, so this will work out perfectly. My daughter wants me to be Funshine, but I’m not sure I can handle all of that yellow!